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Eating Right

Spring 2008

A Nutrition Plan for the Long Haul
     by Elizabeth B. Rahavi, RD and Holly O’Connor, RD

It’s that time of year when you start your long bike rides and runs for the upcoming season. Whether you are training for a sprint or an Ironman distance triathlon, nutrition is going to play a key role. Set your races—and training—up for success by remembering this rule: if you are exercising longer than one hour, you need a nutrition plan to replenish your energy stores. More...

Summer 2008

The Five Foods No Triathlete Can Live Without
     by Elizabeth B. Rahavi, RD and Holly O’Connor, RD

Food, in its great variety, is one of the best things in life. So, to boil down all of the hundreds of food options into five, well, that would be a crime! The matrix of vitamins, minerals, fats, carbohydrates, water, and protein that foods provide makes almost anything edible a functional food. This is particularly true for triathletes whose bodies are taxed and hungry for nutrients to begin the repair process from the stress they endure during training. A number of nutrients are important in the repair process, including the vitamins A and C, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and carbohydrates. We’re highlighting the following foods because they are a great source of these nutrients and almost every triathlete should be consuming more of them    More...

Evolution Running

Spring 2008

Creating Efficient Horizontal Propulsion
     by Ken Mierke

Despite what most runners and their coaches believe, technique plays an enormous role in sustained fast running. Most runners subscribe to one of two basic paradigms of propulsion. Unfortunately, both are flawed. One creates more upward than forward propulsion; the other isolates a relatively small, weak muscle group instead of harnessing a  number of muscles to work together to produce propulsion.  Learning to use large muscle groups to create horizontal propulsion with minimal vertical oscillation will help you run farther and faster. More...

Athlete's Edge

Summer 2008

Goal Setting: More than just about Performance
     by David Glover

If you ask athletes, and especially triathletes, what their goals for an upcoming event are, typical responses will be:
“Set a PR.”
“Finish in a time of X:XX.”
“Finish in the top XXX of XXX.”
“Beat [insert name here]!”

These are all examples of performance goals, which describe an accomplishment observable and measurable by the outside world. Unfortunately, for any number of reasons, many of which are outside your control – weather conditions, the depth of your age group, or your friend’s fitness – you can’t always race faster, finish in the top three, or beat your nemesis every time you compete. By focusing only on performance goals for an event, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment, frustration, and ultimately loss of enjoyment. This is why setting learning goals in addition to specifically-tailored performance goals guarantees a positive personal race review of the overall event. More...

Spring 2008

Stacking Your Deck For Race Day
     by David Glover

In the Fall 2007 issue of Tri-DC, I wrote that there are four necessary and important dimensions to optimally racing a multi-sport race:

1. Physical Fitness: overall fitness and health leading up to and during an event;
2. Equipment: the equipment that you use and how you use it (e.g., bike fit);
3. Race Execution: choices you make that impact you just before and during in a race (e.g., hydration); and
4. Mental State: mental attitude leading up to and during an event.

Although not necessarily mutually exclusive, the four dimensions provide a framework that enables us to race up to our potential.
More...

Injury Prevention

Summer 2008

What NOT To Wear: Sexy High Heels And Laid-Back Flip Flops
     by Kerri Kramer, MSPT and Dr. Steven Berkey

Many triathletes spend hundreds of dollars each year for the perfect running shoes and replace them routinely in efforts to stave off injury. Triathletes also spend money on over-the-counter inserts and custom-made orthotics to absorb shock and improve alignment. So how is it possible that foot and ankle pain can creep up on you despite these diligent efforts? Triathletes beware: the culprits lie in your closets, and it’s not your running shoes. For women and men alike, those easy-to-wear flip flops are responsible for a great deal of foot and ankle issues. Moreover, for ladies who like to show a little style outside of their run, bike, and swim apparel, the source of pain is the torturous high heels worn at work and on a night out. Both high heels and flip flops can cause pain anywhere in your body from your feet all the way up to your back, and they do so in two completely different ways. More...

Spring 2008

Iliotibial Band Syndrome: The Fire Starter
     by Kerri Kramer, MSPT and Dr. Steven Berkey

Anatomical Faults: Sara had pre-existing conditions including internal rotation of the leg, hip weakness, weak core muscles, and overpronation. Other common anatomical issues are IT band tightness and leg length discrepancies. What is ITB Syndrome? The ITB, or iliotibial band, is a thick band of connective tissue that has attachments from the pelvis into the knee and down to the lower leg. Most literature on ITB pain describes a mechanism where the lower part of the band rubs over the outside of the femur (the thigh bone) as the knee moves from 0 to 30 degrees of flexion. Over a long period of repetitive knee bending (e.g., distance running), the friction created from rubbing produces an inflammatory response and “ignites the fire” under the ITB. More...

Triathlon 501

Summer 2008

Red Light! Green Light!
 The Importance of Various Aches and Pains
     by Kerri Kramer, MSPT and Dr. Steven Berkey

As endurance athletes, we have a 35% probability of injury each year. If you are an elite or top performer, the risk is 50% or more. No matter what, during training and racing, you will have aches and pains. How do you know which pains you can train through and which should be a cause for concern?
We will call the first type “Green Light” (GL) pain. Performing at your maximum capacity is very uncomfortable, even painful, but this generalized discomfort is harmless. At the end of a long run or bike every muscle in your body aches, but it’s a “Green Light!”

More...

Tri This!

Summer 2008

Step Up
     by Bill Hall

Here’s an exercise that looks easy but can be a challenge for athletes with poor balance. The Step Up will not only improve your balance and coordination but also strengthen glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. As you repeat this movement, you will become aware of balance differences between the left and right sides of your body. Step Up will strengthen your legs for uphill running and the push movement for your pedaling stroke, and will force you to use your core for proper balance and posture.

Let’s check out STEP UP!
More...

Spring 2008

Injury Prevention Exercises for the Rotator Cuff
     by Bill Hall

The shoulder is one the most flexible joints of the body. This flexibility makes various athletic movements of the arm possible, such as throwing a baseball, swinging a golf club or tennis racket, and swimming in the pool. The shoulder joint is highly susceptible to injury from these repetitive athletic movements. If the surrounding muscles of the shoulder (pectorals, trapezius, deltoids, and latissimus) and deep rotator-cuff muscle tissue become weak, the shoulder joint will become a candidate for inflammation and structural tissue damage. Worst case scenario? Surgery and months of rehabilitation. Talk about a setback to your triathlon season! 
More...